Disney (Briefly) Cedes the Top Spot at the 2025 Box Office to Warner Bros. Discovery
For the last eighteen months, Walt Disney Studios has been the dominant force at the box office, delivering four films that surpassed the billion-dollar mark.
2024 was a banner year for Disney in theaters, with films like Deadpool & Wolverine, Inside Out 2, and Moana 2 delivering historic runs. In total, the United States box office grossed $8.72 billion. Of that total $2.19 billion was generated by Disney.
Image: Pixar
After their historic 2024, Disney returned to theaters this year with a full slate of films. Unfortunately, the first six-and-a-half months of the year have not gone according to plan. While Disney’s Lilo & Stitch was an undeniable success, Marvel’s Captain America: Brave New World and Thunderbolts* underachieved. Snow White and Elio, meanwhile, were unmitigated disasters.
Warner Bros. Passes Disney at the 2025 Box Office
Through July 20, Disney has grossed $1.27 billion in domestic theaters. While that number would be great for most studios, it is underwhelming for Disney. Additionally, Disney’s underachieving films have allowed Warner Bros. Discovery to claim the top spot at the domestic box office so far this year.
Photo: Disney
Following Superman‘s second weekend in theaters, Warner Bros. has now grossed $1.32 billion at the box office. This has allowed the studio to catapult Disney.
The good news for Disney is that its fall to second place won’t last long.
Photo: Marvel
With The Fantastic Four: First Steps set to hit theaters this weekend, Disney will reclaim the top spot and almost certainly retain it through the end of the year.
A Look Ahead
Despite the studio’s disappointing start to the year, The Fantastic Four, Zootopia 2, TRON: Ares, Freakier Friday, and Avatar: Fire and Ash are all set to be released over the next five months.
Photo: Disney
In the end, Disney will be just fine.
